Vinh Long Province issues a plan to preserve and promote tai tu music, a traditional art genre of the south which was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2013. VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuyet

The Vinh Long Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it is seeking and collecting old and rare compositions and documents on tai tu music and will publish them by 2025 to let people know more about the history and development of the art.

Meanwhile, the province will offer courses on tai tu music, focusing on performance and composition, to help musicians improve their skills.

Many courses and performances of the music will also be held at schools and residential areas, so students and people can learn and understand more about the art.

The province will support tai tu music clubs to boost their operation and quality, and then send them to perform at tourism sites and home stays to serve tourists.

According to the department, the province now has 899 clubs with more than 8,000 members.

It has offered numerous courses on playing traditional musical instruments and writing lyrics for tai tu music compositions for nearly a thousand musicians.

In addition, Vinh Long calls on sponsors to give financial support to tai tu music clubs to maintain their operation and development.

It also encourages tourism sites and homestay owners to organise more tai tu music performances to attract tourists.

Pham Thi Ngoc Trinh, owner of Ut Trinh Homestay, said, “after a tough time caused by COVID-19, tourists like to enjoy fresh air so we offer new products to bring tourist back to nature. We renew the way we perform tai tu music to surprise tourists.”

This year, the province has introduced a special programme of performing tai tu music at ancient Southern-style houses which are warmly welcomed by tourists.

Phan Thi Bay from Da Nang Province said, “enjoying tai tu music in an ancient house brings an interesting experience to me. I feel like I am back in the old days of the South.”

“I have an opportunity to learn more about the art from experienced musicians,” she added.

Performances of tai tu music at ancient Southern-style houses in Vinh Long are warmly welcomed by tourists. VNA/VNS Photo Thuy Hang

Tai tu music is the prototype for vong co (nostalgic tunes) and cai luong (reformed opera) of southern Viet Nam. It is part of the region’s traditional music that began about 100 years ago.

The music is often performed during festivals and special occasions in the Mekong Delta provinces of Can Tho, Vinh Long, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau. 

Musicians play traditional instruments, including kim (two-stringed guitar), co (vertical violin with two strings), tranh (16-chord zither) and bau (monochord zither), and are accompanied by singers who express varying emotions.

Tai tu music was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2013.